Postage-stamp-affixing machine.



R. B. NICHOLS.

POSTAGE STAMP 'AFFIXING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.29. 1912.

1 ,046,2 1 4, Patented Dec. 3, 1912.

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R. E. NICHOLS.

POSTAGE STAMP AFFIXING MACHINE.

APPLIUYATION FILED mums, 1912. 7

1,046,214. Patented Dec.3,191 2.

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COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON, D, c.

' R. E. NICHOLS. POSTAGE STAMP AFFIXING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JAN.29. 1912.

Patented Dec. 3, 1912.

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TENT ur c POSTAGE-STAMP-AFFIXING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 3,1912.

Application filed January 29, 1912. Serial No. 674,161.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RoBnRr E. NICHOLS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Akron, in thecounty of Summit and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful PostageStamp-Aiiixing Machine, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention in its entirety consists of a novel and useful construction of machine designed to properly moisten that portion of the envelop upon which the stamp is to be affixed and to affix a postage stamp to the envelop.

A further object consists in novel means for automatically feeding the envelops one at a time through the machine and during the time the envelops are fedto at the same time feed a ribbon of stamps.

A further object consists in mechanism properly timed to cut or separate the stamps from the ribbon and at such intervals as to locate the cut stamp in pro-per contact with the moistened portion of the envelop and upon which moistened portion the stamp is to be affixed.

The present invention further consists in means for properly threading the ribbon of stamps so as to hold. said ribbon in proper relationship with reference to the envelops.

The invention still further consists in the general arrangement of the various parts and combination of parts herein specifically described and summed up and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure 1 is a top plan view with parts broken away. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 33, Fig. 1. Fig. 4: is a view showing a portion of the stamp ribbon illustrating the adhesive faces of the stamps.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all: the figures of the drawings.

In the accompanying drawings, 1 and 2 represent the uprights or standards which are inclined downward and rearward, their.

bottom or lower ends resting upon the foundation or floor or other support of the machine proper. These standards or plates 1 and 2 are held in proper spaced relation ship with reference to each other by a suitable tie bar 3 and a tie or cross bolt 4. The front or forward portion of the machine proper is supported by the legs 5 and 6, the leg 6 being, preferably formed integral with the standard or side plate 1. The top or upper end of the standard 5 is provided with the side plate 7 which side plate may be formed integral with the standard 5 or it may be made separate and securely attached, said plate being for the means of supporting the various parts designed to be carried by said plates and also providing means for journaling the various rotatable shafts. The power shaft 8 is journaled in the plate 7 or its equivalent, which power shaft is provided with the pulley 9, said pulley being securely mounted upon the shaft 8. The shaft 8 is formed of a length somewhat greater than the width of the machine and the opposite end of the shaft from that to which the pulley 9 is attached is provided with the gear wheel 10, which gear wheel meshes with the gear wheels 11 and 12. The gear wheel 11 is securely mounted upon the shaft 13 upon which shaft is securely mounted the carry off roller 14, the outer portion of said roller being formed of rubber or like material for the purpose of possessing sufiicient adhesive qualities to move an envelop if it is brought in contact with the surface of said roller. The periphery of said roller is provided with the segmental extension 15, which segmental extension cons stitutes a given proportion of the entire circumference of said roller, the remaining circumferential surface of said roller being the segment of a circle of less diameter, thereby providing a carry off roller having segmental surfaces of difierent diameters, but concentric with reference to each other. The purpose of providing the carry off roller with the segmental extension is to intermittently carry or remove the envelops from the table or envelop support 16. The envelop support or table 16 is designed to hold a stack of envelops, said envelops being stacked with the addressed faces downward and are so arranged in the stack for the purpose of affixing the stamps upon the addressed faces of the envelops.

For the purpose of preventing any accidental displacement of the envelops with reference to each other that is to say for the purpose of preventing more than one envelop from being moved from the table or support 16 at a time or the slipping of the envelops said table is inclined rearward and downward, so that mechanical force mustbe employed to move each envelop upon the inclined table or support. The upward inclination of, the table being forward and being upwardly inclined for the purpose just above pointed out. For the purpose of moving the lowermost envelop of the stack of envelops or the envelop located directly upon the surface of the table or support 16 the rollers 17 are provided. The peripheries of said rollers are knurled or otherwise roughened so as to present sufficient frictional contact upon the faces of the envelop to move the envelop in contact with said rollers in the direction of the rotation of said rollers, or more specifically in the direction of the movement of the top or upward portions of said rollers. The table 16 is provided with the openings 18, through which openings the extreme tops of the rollers. 17 are extended and are so extended for, the purpose of bringing said rollers into proper contact with the under face of the lowermost envelop of the stack of envelops.

For the purpose of guiding and holding the envelop during its forward movement the forward extended plates 19 are provided, which forward extending plates are spaced from each other, the center plate being lo cated between the sections of the roller 14. For the purpose of preventing the envelops from moving forward, except thelowermost one, the check or retaining roller 20 is provided, which roller is mounted upon the shaft 21, said shaft being driven by the gear wheel 22, which gear wheel 22 is driven by the intermediate gear wheel 23, said intermediate gear wheel being driven by the gear wheel 11. .The intermediate gear 23 is mounted upon the shaft 24, which shaft is properly journaled in the frame of the machlne in any convenient and well known manner.

For the purpose of removing the envelops or in other words carrying them from the machine proper the delivery rolls 25 and 26 are provided, which rolls are mounted upon suitable shafts 27 properly journaled in the frame of the machine. For the purpose of imparting rotary motion to the rolls 25 and 26 the gear wheels 28 and 29 are provided, said gear wheels normally meshing with each other and also with the gear wheels 22 and 23, but if in the event the upper rolls 26 should be lifted away from the lower rollsby reason of a thick envelop passing between the same, the rolls 25 and- 26 will rotate continuously by reason of the upper gear wheel 29 meshing with the gear wheel 22. It will be understood that inorder to accomplish this result the various gear wheels 22, 23, 28 and 29should be of the same, size and the gear wheels 28 and 29 provided with the same number of teeth and also the gear wheels 22 and 23 provided with the same number of teeth. 7

V For the purpose of providing means for moistening the portion, or face of the en;

to be affixed in ribbon form so that the I ribbon of stamps can be fed in such a manner so that one stamp at a time will be brought in contact with the moistened portion of the envelop upon which the stamp is to be affixed. In use the ribbon made up of a series of postage stamps is wound upon the stamp ribbon spool 34, which ribbon spool is preferably inclosed by a suitable casing made up of the fixed portion 35 and the hinged portion 36. The stamp ribbon is threaded, first between the rollers 37 which rollers are'rotated by the movement of the stamp ribbon, thence on to the roller 38, and thence on to the inclined plate 39 and thence under the roller 40, which roller is journaled in the swinging arm 41, said roller being for the purpose of holding the stamp ribbon down and in contact with the inclined plate 39. The ribbon then passes under the plate 42 after which the detached stamp from the ribbon is picked up and carried by the segment 43, said segment being connected to the shaft 44 by means of the arm or spoke 45, the shaft 44 being driven by the gear wheel 12. For the purpose of moving the stamp ribbon or more specifically unwinding it from the spool 34 the rollers 38 and 46 are provided which rollers are mounted upon the shafts 49 and 50, said shafts being rotated by means of the gear wheels 51 and 52, said gear wheels being rotated by the intermediate gear wheel 53, which intermediate gear Wheel is driven by the gear wheel 12. It will be understood that the stamp ribbon must be fed intermittently so that a given stamp is brought into position to be aflixed to the moistened portion of the undermost envelop of the stack of envelops and in order to provide for this intermittent movement or feeding of the stamp ribbon the roller 46 is provided with the segmental extension 54, which segmental extension should be provided wit-h an adhesive face 55, which adhesive face may be made up of a sheet of rubber and attached to the extension in any convenient and well'known manner.

For the purpose of cutting the stamps during the time they are intermittently fed so as to separate the stamps from the ribbon of stamps a knife 56 is provided, which knife is connected to the swinging arm 57, said arm being pivoted to the ear or lug 58. For the purpose of imparting reciprocating movement to the knife 56 the cam 59 is provided, which cam is mounted upon the shaft 50 and rotates with said shaft. The cam 59 during its downward movement moves the bar 60 downward, said bar 60 being pivoted at its lower end by means of the pivotal connection 61 and for the purpose of moving the swinging arm 57 together with the knife 56 the bar 60 and the arm 57 are tied together by means of the link 62. For the purpose of elevating the arm 57 after the bar 60 has been released the spring 63 is provided, the free end of said spring being located under and in contact with the arm 57. For the purpose of insuring the proper cutting of the stamps the inclined plate 39 is provided with the slot 63, through which slot the cutting end of the knife 56 passes.

For the purpose of reciprocating the moistening pad 30 so as to move said moistening pad back and forth upon the undersurface of the undermost envelop of the stack of envelops the pad retainer and water receptacle 31 is mounted upon or fixed to the plates 64, which plates are held by suitable guides 65 to which plates are attached the bars 66, said bars being connected at their forward ends and fro-1n which ends are extended the rod or bar 67, which bar rests upon the roller shaft 13. For the purpose of holding the rod 67 in proper relationship with reference to the shaft 18, the holding bar 68 is provided and connected tothe bar 67 and located below the shaft 13. To the rod 67 is attached the yoke 69, one member of said yoke being extended upward and above the rod 67 as best illustrated in Fig. 3. The shaft 13 is provided with the tappets 70 and 71, the tappet 70 being arranged to strike and move forward the yoke 60 and the tappet 71 being arranged tomove said yoke backward after it has been brought forward, thereby imparting a reciprocating movement to the parts carrying the moistening pad 30 and moving said moistening pad back and forth upon the lower face of the undermost envelop of the stack of envelops. As the envelops drop from the machine they fall upon the rods 72, which rods are connected to the heads 7 3, which heads are frictionally held by the supports made up of the parallel bars 74.

For the purpose of presenting each envelop down as it drops from the machine the presser bars 75 are provided which presser rods are provided with the curved portion 76. The presser rods 75 are journaled in the bearings 77 and their rear ends provided with the crank or angle portions 7 8 by means of which the presser rods 75 'are rocked by the cam 79, which cam is located upon the power shaft 8. For the purpose of automatically returning the presser rods after they have been rocked to depress an envelop or compress the stack of envelops the springs 80 are provided, which springs are connected to the crank portions of the presser rods 75 and loosely connected to the shaft 8 or its equivalent.

For the purpose of holding the bunch of envelops in close contact with the upper surface of the table 16 the weight 16 is provided. This weight serves two purposes, first it holds the envelops in compact form, and second, it presses the envelops so that the lowermost one will be pressed upon the surfaces of the rollers 17.

It will be understood that owing to the fact that the moistening pad 30 and its moistening receptacle 31 are reciprocated, a flexible connection must be made as between the tank 32 and the water receptacle so as to allow for the movements of said receptacle and pad. In order to provide for this movement a flexible pipe 33 should be employed. It will also be understood that means must be provided to hold the envelops in stacked relationship with reference to each other and to so hold the envelops standards 35 are provided, which standards are connected at their bottom or lower ends to the envelop supporting plate 16.

The manner of picking up and connecting a stamp to an envelop after it has been cut from the ribbon is as follows: The main portion of the stamp is carried forward of the knife 56 and is located under the roller 56 and as the pick-up segment 43 comes under the roller 56 the front portion of said segment comes in close relationship with the roller 56" and between which roller and segment the forward end of the stamp is located and as the segment moves or rotates the stamp will be drawn forward and in contact with the moistened surface of the envelop. At this time the envelop is also moving forward in unison with the forward movement of the stamp. The action of the carry-off roll is so timed with reference to its rotation that the envelop will be properly moved or more specifically its movement will be properly timed.

The roller 56 is journaled in suitable ears provided upon the rear of the pad retainer 31, so that said roller will be reciprocated in unison with said retainer 31.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a postage stamp affixing machine, the combination of a suitable frame, an envelop supporting table inclined upward and forward envelop feeding rolls located through-the envelop table and adapted for contact with the under surfaces of envelops,

a carry-off roll and delivery rolls located at the forward edge of the table, an envelop moistening pad, means for moistening the pad and means for reciprocating the moistening pad and means adapted to intermittently feed a ribbon of stamps toward the envelop supporting table and means for cutting the stamps during their intermittent movement and means for picking up the stamps cut from the ribbon and moving them forward and in contact with the under surface of the undermost envelop of the stack of envelops, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a postage stamp affixing machine, an envelop supporting table inclined upward and forward, a series of rollers adapted to contact with the under side of an envelop, means for imparting rotary motion to the envelop conveying rollers, an envelop carry-off roller provided with a segmental extension adapted for contact with:

an envelop, a check roller located above and forward of the carry-off roller, delivery rolls located forward of the check roller, a reciprocating water receptacle, a stamp pad carried by said reciprocating water receptacle, means for reciprocating the water receptacle and stamp moistening pad, a plate adapted to support a ribbon of stamps, said plate provided with a slot at its upper end,

'means adapted to intermittently feed said ribbon of stamps toward said table, a knife adapted to out said ribbon of stamps during their intermittent movement, means for actuating said knife, a stamp pick-upv segment adapted to pick up the stamps cut fro-m the ribbon and move them forward and into contact with the under surface of an envelop upon said envelop supporting table. 7 a

3. In a postage stamp affixing machine, an envelop supporting table, a stamp ribbon spool located at the rear lower portion of the machine, a stamp ribbon supporting plate inclined upward and located in front of the ribbon spool, means for intermittently feeding the stamp ribbon upon the plate and toward the envelop supporting table, a knife located in the path of the travel of the ribbon, means for intermittently actuating the knife, a stamp pick up segment adapted to pick up the stamps cut from the ribbon and rolls, a liquid receptacle and a moistening pad carried by the receptacle and means for reciprocating the liquid receptacle and pad.

4. In a postage stamp affixing machine, an envelop supporting table, envelop conveying rollers located within the boundaries of the table, a stamp ribbon plate adapted to support a stamp'ribbon, means for in termittently feeding the stamps upon the stamp supporting plate and toward said envelop supporting table, a knife adapted to cut the stamps constituting the ribbon, a pick-up segment, a carryoff roll adapted to intermittently move an envelop, means for delivering the envelops, a reciprocating moistening pad and means for reciprocating said pad.

5. In a postage stamp affixing machine, an

to pick up the stamps cut'from the ribbon and move them forward and into contact with the under surface of the undermost envelop of the stack.

6. In a post-age stamp afiixing machine, an envelop supporting table, envelop conveying rolls, an envelop carry-off roll provided with a segmental extension, a check roll located above and forward of the carryoff roll and delivery rolls located forward of the check roll, a reciprocating moistening pad and means for reciprocating and moistening the pad, a stamp ribbon supporting plate, means for intermittently feeding the stamp ribbon, a stamp cutting knife located in the path of the intermittent movement of the stamp ribbon, means for reciprocating said knife, a rotatable stamp pick-up segment adapted to pick up the stamps cut from the ribbon and move them forward and into contact with the under surface of an envelop upon said envelop supporting table.

7. In a postage stamp 'aiiixing machine, an envelop supporting table, envelop conveying rolls, an envelop carry-off roll provided with a segmental extension, a check roll located above and forward of the carryoff roll, delivery rolls located forward of the check roll, a reciprocating moistening pad, means for reciprocating and moistening said pad, a stamp ribbon supporting plate, means for intermittently feeding a ribbon of stamps toward said supporting table, a stamp cutting knifelocated in the path of the intermittent movement of the stamp ribbon, means for reciprocating said knife, a rotatable stamp pick-up segment located for ward of the knife and adapted to pick up the stamps cut from the ribbon and move them forward and into contact with the under surface of an envelop upon said envelop supporting table, envelop compressing rods and means for actuating said rods.

8. In a postage stamp affixing machine, an envelop supporting table, envelop conveying rolls adapted for contact with an envelop, an envelop carry-off roll adapted to intermittently move an envelop,a spool adapted to carry a ribbon composed of stamps, rollers adapted for contact with the ribbon and to intermittently feed the ribbon toward said supporting table,v a plate adapted to support and carry the ribbon, a knife adapted to cut the stamps comprising the ribbon, a take-up segment, a roller located adjacent and just above the path of the stamp takeup segment, said segment and roller adapted to pick up the stamps out from the ribbon and move them forward and into contact with the under surface of an envelop upon said envelop supporting table and means for moistening the attaching surface of an envelop.

9. In a postage stamp afiiXing machine, an

envelop supporting table, envelop conveying rolls adapted for contact With an envelop, an envelop carry-off roll adapted to intermittently move an envelop, a stamp ribbon spool adapted to carry a ribbon composed of'stamps, rollers adapted for contact with the ribbon and to intermittently feed the ribbon toward said supporting table, a plate adapted to support and carry the ribbon, a knife adapted to cut the stamps comprising the ribbon, a take-up segment, a roller located adjacent and just above the path of the stamp take-up segment, said segment and roller adapted to clamp a stamp and move it forward and into contact with the under surface of anenvelop upon said supporting table, means for moistening the attaching surface of an envelop and a guide plate located at the forward end of the stamp carrying plate and in front of the stamp cutting knife.

In testimony that I claim the above, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT E. NICHOLS.

Witnesses:

JoHN H. BISHOP, WILLIAM H. MILLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. i 

